{"id":546483,"date":"2026-01-27T09:11:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T09:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/546483\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T09:11:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T09:11:22","slug":"luka-doncic-scores-46-points-makes-eight-threes-as-lakers-beat-bulls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/546483\/","title":{"rendered":"Luka Doncic scores 46 points, makes eight threes as Lakers beat Bulls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CHICAGO\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Luka Doncic<\/a> skipped, shimmied and shot. The Lakers<\/a> dunked, hollered and won.<\/p>\n

Doncic dazzled yet again with 46 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in the Lakers\u2019 129-118 win<\/a> over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Lakers (28-17) notched their fourth win in five games. It was his third game in the last four with at least 10 assists \u2014 all wins.<\/p>\n

The Lakers are less than two weeks removed from losing five of six games, a skid that prompted coach JJ Redick<\/a> to challenge Doncic and LeBron James<\/a> during a team meeting to look for their teammates more. The Lakers weren\u2019t \u201ctrusting the pass\u201d Redick said last week after the team\u2019s loss to the Clippers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Doncic has responded with 11 assists in back-to-back games since the loss to the Clippers and the Lakers have had 26 assists in each of their previous two wins. James, in addition to 24 points, had three assists Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey took it in a good way and that\u2019s what they\u2019ve been doing,\u201d forward Rui Hachimura<\/a> said of James\u2019 and Doncic\u2019s response to Redick\u2019s message. \u201cAnd then, we\u2019re winning. And then everybody gets touches and everybody shares a ball. It\u2019s fun. That\u2019s how basketball should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hachimura was one of the main beneficiaries, scoring 23 points off the bench on nine-for-11 shooting with four three-pointers. Two weeks removed from a calf injury that kept him sidelined for six games, Hachimura has returned to his early season form, shooting 57.1% from the field in the last three games.<\/p>\n

He hit consecutive threes to hold off a charge from the Bulls (23-23), who cut a 20-point Lakers lead to one with 6:42 left in the third quarter. Doncic played a role in both clutch shots, first whipping a one-handed pass behind his back across the court to Gabe Vincent<\/a>, who shoveled the ball with one hand to Hachimura. Less than a minute later, Doncic drove into a crowd of three defenders in the paint, jumped and fired a two-handed pass to Hachimura on the wing. The Lakers were safely ahead by nine points again.<\/p>\n

\"Lakers <\/p>\n

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura shoots over Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry during the first half Monday.<\/p>\n

(Nam Y. Huh \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Redick praised Doncic\u2019s and James\u2019 ability to make \u201csimple\u201d plays Monday, helping the team keep its turnovers to just eight. But when the Slovenian point guard is at his best, he\u2019s also making the spectacular plays that fire up his teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s an engine that\u2019s fully on,\u201d Redick said. \u201cAnd he likes to create out there, and that\u2019s a part of what makes him a great player. … Not to say it doesn\u2019t test your patience at times, but you have to be willing to live with some of the stuff that he tries, because more often than not, you\u2019re going to get a great result.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doncic, who only took 25 shots, scored 29 points in the second half after dishing eight of his 11 assists in the first. He made six of 11 three-point attempts after halftime, growing in confidence each time he snapped another early shot-clock heat check through the net. In the third, he mimicked shooting pistols after he laced one three-pointer. After another, late in the fourth, he skipped backward on defense away from the Bulls\u2019 bench.<\/p>\n

\"Lakers <\/p>\n

Lakers star LeBron James dunks in front of Chicago Bulls guard Coby White in the first half Monday.<\/p>\n

(Nam Y. Huh \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Doncic\u2019s energy transferred to his teammates. James threw down two one-handed tomahawk dunks in the first half. Jaxson Hayes<\/a>, not to be outdone by the 41-year-old, stole the ball and drove coast-to-coast for a between-the-legs dunk with 2:55 left to put a final exclamation point on the win.<\/p>\n

The play left Doncic holding his hands together in front of his chest and exhaling in relief. Hachimura, trailing the play to Hayes\u2019 right, was yelling, \u201cGo Jax! Go Jax!\u201d<\/p>\n

But upon further review, teammates didn\u2019t seem particularly impressed with Hayes\u2019 dunk. Hachimura said he\u2019s seen Hayes perform his signature dunk much higher. Even the 7-foot center said he was scared he was going to get stuck on the rim. Sitting at his locker after the game, Doncic attested he could pull it off when he was a teenager.<\/p>\n

Just another one of his show-stopping tricks.<\/p>\n

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